2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale

Age structure

0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Airports

2 (one on Alderney) (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Area

land

78 sq km

note

includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

total

78 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Background

Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for defense and international representation. Geography Guernsey

Birth rate

8.81 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$530.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

revenues

$563.6 million

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

49 27 N, 2 32 W

name

Saint Peter Port

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Coastline

50 km

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

conventional long form

Bailiwick of Guernsey

conventional short form

Guernsey

Currency (code)

British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound

Currency code

GBP

Death rate

10.01 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and 32% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

NA

hydro

NA

nuclear

NA

other

NA

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location on Sark 114 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries

Exchange rates

Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.5441 (2006), 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), note, the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Executive branch

cabinet

Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)

election results

Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA

elections

the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion

head of government

Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables

Exports - partners

UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Guernsey

Flag description

white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross Economy Guernsey

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3%

industry

10%

services

87% (2000)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$44,600 (2005)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.742 billion (2005)

Geographic coordinates

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Geography - note

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port People Guernsey

Government type

parliamentary democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners

UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking

Infant mortality rate

female

4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

5.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.65 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (June 2006)

International organization participation

UPU

Internet country code

.gg

Internet hosts

1,245 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Internet users

36,000 (2005) Transportation Guernsey

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Royal Court

Labor force

31,470 (March 2006)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

NA%

other

NA%

permanent crops

NA%

Languages

English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Legal system

English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Legislative branch

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

elections

last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.53 years (2006 est.)

male

77.41 years

total population

80.42 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Guernsey

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Location

Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

3 nm

Median age

female

42.2 years (2006 est.)

male

40.4 years

total

41.3 years

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Guernsey

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Nationality

adjective

Channel Islander

noun

Channel Islander(s)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

cropland

Net migration rate

3.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

65,409 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.26% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson Military Guernsey

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

Religions

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

Roadways

total

NA

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

NA

international

1 submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

55,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular

43,800 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

NA

Terrain

mostly level with low hills in southwest

Total fertility rate

1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.9% (March 2006 est.)